Plunging Swords
by sakanascales876
Summary: When the future collides with the past, Usagi and Mamoru have to fight alone. The Senshi vanished, the Earth's been enslaved, and Usagi and Mamoru still hate each other. But Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion aren't about to just sit around and watch.
1. Chapter 1

Hey there everyone! I know that I just started another story, but this idea  
wouldn't abandon my mind. I don't own Sailor Moon, I'm just borrowing the  
characters...without...permission...hehe. Well, since I'm going to be on the  
run for a while now, I'll see you all later. ;)

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Plunging Swords

Chapter 1

By sakanascales876

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"Usagi."

"Shut up."

"Usagi-chan!"

"I don't want to hear about it!"

"Usa--gi."

"Don't care."

Luna rolled her eyes and stared up at her charge in agitation. Sometimes, this girl was just too much to handle, and all the stress from the enemy wasn't helping her either. Secretly, she was hoping that Usagi would just start to shape up or show _some_ kind of improvement, but nothing of that sort had occurred as of yet.

"You need to study harder, Usagi-chan!" she scolded, eliciting a groan from the blond haired girl.

"What the heck does school work have to do with the Dark Kingdom?"

Luna sighed. "Usagi-chan, you must take this more seriously! And what do you mean, 'what does school have to do with the Dark Kingdom?' Just look at Ami-chan! Without her, we'd all be running out there like complete bakas, getting our butts kicked by youma!"

Usagi huffed and threw her long pigtail over her shoulder. "Gosh, Luna. I get this everyday from my mom, Rei-chan, my teacher, Rei-chan, my own brother, Rei-chan, and even Mamoru-baka! I sure as heck don't need it from you! So please get out of my business!"

"I'm going to put this simply," the space cat said, pacing on Usagi's bed. "You're business is _my business_, and I don't take business lightly. The only thing that I'm saying, is that this world needs a hero, and if you're the one who's going to do it, then you need to _shape up!_"

Usagi glared down at the cat before grabbing her purse and slipping on her shoes.

"Where do you think you're going?" Luna asked shrilly.

Usagi narrowed her eyes. "Out."

"Arcade?"

"You know me so well," Usagi said sarcastically, storming from the room and tossing a 'later!' over her shoulder.

Luna sighed and huddled into a comfortable position on the bed, shaking her head disapprovingly as the bold red '22' flashed back at her.

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Usagi huffed angrily into the arcade, storming past all the bubbly children and all the giggling teenage girls to the counter. Motoki looked up from the counter he was cleaning, the dirty dish towel still hanging in his hand.

"Rough day?" he asked lightly.

Usagi nodded, banging her head onto the clean counter. Motoki bit his lip as he silently mourned about his once spotless table top, but quickly pushing those thoughts away as the comforting, older brother persona gently soared into him. He rubbed her back soothingly, putting his hand beneath her face to avoid a concussion due to the constant slamming of her head.

After a couple minutes, Usagi sighed, resting her chin on Motoki's hand.

"I'm sick of it," she mumbled.

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

"Are you just going to sit here and mope?"

"Yes."

"Talking will make you feel better."

"Motoki-nii-san, no offense, but you'd make a terrible shrink."

Motoki prodded her gently. "Where's my cheerful Usagi? The sweet, smiling, innocent little girl whom is about to recieve a free milkshake on the house?"

"She packed her bags and moved to Spain, but the milkshake sounds lovely."

Motoki rolled his eyes although a grin was slapped onto his face. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Whip cream _and_ cherries?"

"By the bucket load!" Motoki said theatrically, earning many strange glances from customers.

"Fine!" Usagi huffed. "I'm sick of everybody calling me stupid!" she cried, muffling her face into the counter once more.

Motoki immediately switched into brotherly comfort mode by walking quickly around the counter and engulfing her in a hug.

"Usagi-chan, you're not stupid."

"Yes I am! Motoki-nii-san, I haven't seen a score over a 65 in over nine months! I'm as usefull as a wet match in a dark cave!" she cried pathetically.

"Even so, that doesn't matter," he said. "You're the kindest most sweetest girl I've ever met and those qualities alone outshine any other bad ones that you could think of!"

"Tell that to Mamoru-baka and just about everybody else," she said sarcastically.

Motoki scoffed and waved his hand in the air. "What does that ol' Mamoru-baka know anyway?"

"Well geez Motoki-kun; didn't know you hated me that much."

Usagi groaned. "Go away Mamoru-baka."

Mamoru perched himself upon the stool next to him, earning a glare cast from Motoki. He shrugged at him innocently.

"No can do, Odango. I generally like to know what's going on when my name is tossed into a conversation when I'm not present."

Motoki was about to mouth to him to get the hell away, but Usagi's head quickly zipped up, a glare of pure hatred on her face. Had this been any other mortal, they would have melted and died, withered and died, or any combination of the two. But this was no mere mortal. This was the intelligent, sexy, immune to Usagi antics, Chiba Mamoru. If anyone could survive her, it was him, although many would think of him as a fool for even attempting this dangerous stunt.

"Go away," she said in a shaky voice, the undertone of anger clear as day.

He raised his feet and rested them on the counter, showing all signs of relaxing into a place where he was easily ready to spend hours at. Motoki gave an uncharacteristic sqeal and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Dude," he hissed. "Feet off the counter!"

Mamoru took his feet down as Motoki began to scrub the table top vigorously, muttering God-knows-what beneath his breath.

Mamoru turned his attention back to the Odangoed one, noticing how her shoulders sagged, how her hair looked extremely frazzled, and how she wasn't smiling.

"What's your teenage crisis today, Odango?"

Couldn't you just tell how much he cared?

"Go away," she repeated, ignoring his sarcasm, his mocking grin, his...everything.

Mamoru played with a straw wrapper, twisting it in his hands and not looking at her.

"But you have my curiosity now, Odango. Why were you and Motoki-kun talking about 'that ol' Mamoru-baka'?" he asked.

"Why do you even care?" she replied.

He shrugged. "I really don't. It's just immensely amusing to annoy you."

"Well it isn't for me!" she cried.

"Which makes it all the more fun."

Usagi wanted to hit him. Hard. So hard, in fact, that he would fly all the way to Siberia from the impact. She grimiced. He could easily crush her, so her wishfull thinking was going to complete waste.

Usagi threw up her hands in agitation. "Listen, Mamoru-baka. In case you haven't noticed, today really has not been my day!"

"I noticed," he said, still twiddling with the straw wrapper.

"Well, then leave me alone!" she shouted, storming out of the arcade.

Motoki then turned to Mamoru angrily. "Whatever it is that you've done, you'd better quit it."

At Mamoru's questioning look, Motoki glared at him. "Don't look at me all innocently. Something _is_wrong and I know it for a fact because Tsukino Usagi just left without getting a free milkshake!"

Mamoru could only shrug.

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*Mizuno residence*

Ami stared down at her textbook, but she wasn't even absorbing the words. Usually, the ever so wonderful world of knowledge interested her, but today it was different. It was one of _those_ days. The days that you knew that it was inevitable for something bad to happen. Ami couldn't quite place it, but she knew that it wasn't just a feeling. She _knew_ for sure that something terrible was going to happen at any moment, and she couldn't help but be paranoid at every little sound and jump that sounded through her apartment. The worst part was, her mother was on shift, so if anything did happen, no one could be there to help her.

Staring blankly down at her book, Ami decided to get up and grab a snack. Pulling out a bowl of last night's takeout, Ami walked back into her room, sighing as she went back to her books.

Reading about the Peripheral Nervous System, Ami heard the front door open. Her mom wasn't supposed to be off shift yet, and Ami knew that only their landlord had a spare key. Cautiously, she approached her living room, making sure to be as quiet as possible.

Upon entering the kitchen, Ami was shocked to see her mother standing there, rummaging through her purse. Suddenly, she looked up, making Ami jump.

"Ami, how was your day?" her mom said sweetly, smiling at her. It was eerie...her mom never smiled like that. Her mom smiled, but that was more along the lines of an Usagi smile.

"Fine," she said slowly. "And yours?"

"Fantastic," Dr. Mizuno spoke.

"What are you doing home so early, mom? Your shift isn't over for another two hours."

The smile disappeared off her mother's face. "They gave me the rest off since they didn't really need the extra help,"

Gave her the day off? Doctors didn't just get the day off...unless...

"Mom," Ami asked softly. "Did you get...fired?"

"No, of course not!" Dr. Mizuno cried, laughing. "What made you think that?"

Ami twiddled her fingers on the counter. "Nothing...I just think you're acting a bit...strange."

Dr. Mizuno waved her hand and rolled her eyes. "Nonsense, I'm fine."

Ami nodded, feeling extremely nervous. Something just wasn't right here...

"I had the door locked, so how'd you get in?" Ami asked, a small shadow of doubt in her mind.

"My key, of course," she giggled. Giggled? Her mom didn't ever giggle.

Ami raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Can I borrow it then; It would seem that I misplaced mine."

Her mom looked worried for a moment, before plastering on a smile and saying, "I misplaced mine, too."

Ami crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. "Then how'd you get in, _mother_?"

"You should go study, Ami. I have to go take a bath real quick," Dr. Mizuno said.

"Who are you?" Ami asked, her hand already reaching into her pocket.

Dr. Mizuno giggled nervously. "I'm your mother sill---"

"No," Ami interrupted. "My mom doesn't giggle, she doesn't smile like that, and her shift doesn't end for another two hours. She never skips work, and would _never_ lose her key because she wears it around her neck and never takes it off. And also, you're not wearing the same outfit that she was this morning---"

Dr. Mizuno laughed nervously. "That's because a patient---"

"And last but not least," Ami said coldly. "My mother's eyes are not blue, they're hazel."

The woman standing across from her smiled evilly.

"Very good, little Mercury," she laughed coldly in a voice that was not at all her mother's. "We seemed to have pinned you correctly as being the smartest."

The room had suddenly gone very cold, and a swish of water went through the room, engulfing the woman and evaporating as quickly as it had come. Standing in Dr. Mizuno's place, was a slender woman. Her hair was white, with a tiny hint of powder blue in it, a braid covering part of her forehead. Beneath the braid, was an upside down, black, upside down, crescent moon, gleaming proudly on her pale, smiling face. She wore knee length shoes, the heels taller than all of the high heals that Ami owned together. She wore a blue swimsuit, although it was considered a bit too revealing to be called a that. Her hands were adorned with blue gloves, reaching elbow length. This woman was beautiful, but Ami knew that her intentions weren't.

"Who are you?" she asked, grasping her henshin stick firmly in her pocket.

"Does that really matter?"

Ami glared at her. "Yes, it does." Pulling her henshin stick out, she cried, "Mercury power, make---"

The stick was shot out of her hand, clattering to the floor. Her hand felt like it had been burnt, but when she looked at it, it was covered in ice. But the ice began to expand, and before she knew it, the ice began to spread around her, encasing her in some sort of shell.

"Who are you?" Ami cried, fear bubbling into her bones.

The woman gave her a toothy smile, walking up to her face. "I am Berthier, third daughter of the Ayakashi sisters, under the order of Crimson Rubeus."

She traced a finger along Ami's face as the ice covered her chin. As it covered the rest of her body entirely, Ami couldn't move, nor could she think anymore. Slipping into unconsciousness, she failed to hear Berthier's last words.

"And you, Sailor Mercury, are dead."

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*Hikawa Jinja*

The fire swirled around her, reds and oranges cackling in the dark room. The dim light managed to barely illuminate her face, giving the aura of aloofness. Rei sat in the dark on her knees, praying to the sacred fire.

_Rin_

_Pyou_

_Tou_

_Sha_

_Kai_

_Jin_

_Retsu_

_Zai_

_Zen_

The fire exploded, but Rei did not move. She felt it. It was a strange aura; a bad one. Something bad was going to happen that day, but she did not know what it was. Sighing, she began to recite the prayer, hoping that this time that she would get some sort of vision as to what was going on.

"Rei-san?"

She didn't move or blink an eye. "What is it, Yuuichirou?"

"I brought you some tea," he said meekly.

"I don't want any."

She still hadn't even turned around to acknowledge his presence.

"I brought bisquits, too."

Rei turned to him, the fire behind her immediately dying down. "I said that I don't want any, Yuuichirou!"

Cringing, he set down the tray by the door, muttering his apologies and exiting quickly. Rei turned back to the fire, feeling somewhat guilty. But she didn't have time for Yuuichirou then, something was happening, and she needed to know what it is. Silently, she began to pray to the fire again.

_Rin_

_Pyou_

_Tou_

_Sha_

_Kai_

_Jin_

_Retsu_

_Zai_

_Zen_

The fire roared to life, and this time, and image within it. It was a...woman. Rei leaned closer, trying to see who this was. The woman had long, purple hair, with what looked like two...cat ears on top. A purple jewel rested on top of her hair, reaching all the way down to the upside down black crescent moon shining brightly on her forehead. Her face was pale, covered with too much make up in her opinion. Around her neck, she wore a black corsage, the flower being purple while the tips of the petals being black. In a skin tight pink and purple striped suit, purple, fluffy skirt, and matching high heel, this woman looked extremely intimidating.

Rei sat back, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Was she this Queen Beryl that she head heard about? The aura around her definitely suggested evil, but this woman looked nothing like the Beryl that had been described to her. Sighing in frustration, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

The door slid open once more, and Rei didn't turn around.

"I don't want any tea, Yuuichirou."

"No, Rei-san, someone is here to see you."

She still didn't look at him. "Send them in."

Rei only heard what sounded like high heals clicking on the floor behind her.

"That'll be all, Yuuichirou-san." Woman's voice. High pitched.

Rei didn't turn around, and the woman didn't come any closer to her.

"Are you Hino Rei?" the woman asked.

"Yes."

"I came all the way down here to ask you to read my fortune. You don't mind, do you?" she asked in a sultry voice.

Rei didn't like this woman. She was just like all the other snooty politics that her father was associated with. And heck, she didn't even know what this woman looked like!

"Where did you come from?" Rei asked.

She could tell that the woman was casually looking at her nails. "Oh, just from Kyoto. I heard that the Shinto priestess here was...psychic."

Rei peeked one eye open. "What did you say your name was?"

She could feel the woman grinning into her back. "I didn't."

Slowly, Rei began to stand up, not turning around. "You have a strange aura. I don't like it."

"Care to turn around and talk to me? Or are you going to continue to turn away from me like a coward?"

Rei's blood began boiling. "I suggest you leave, or your future will not end well."

"I'm working to change it."

Rei turned around in confusion, only to see the woman from the fire, looking exactly the same as she had seen her.

"You!" Rei exclaimed.

"Me."

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled, walking forward slowly. "Does that really matter?"

Rei grabbed her henshin wand from her robes, raising it in the air. "Mars power, make---"

A blue fire surrounded her, and Rei found that it was difficult to breathe. She grasped her neck, choking for any amount of air she could get, but to no avail. The fire didn't even touch her, but she felt as though she was burning.

Sinking to her knees, Rei looked up at the woman through tearful eyes.

"Who are you?" she spat.

The woman grinned down at Rei. "The name's Koan, youngest of the four Ayakashi sisters. I am under the command of Crimson Rubeus, and his order is to get you."

Rei's eyes widened in shock. "What do you want from us?"

Koan walked forward the fire disappearing as she walked up to Rei. Stepping one of her stilettos on Rei's hand, she grasped the henshin stick and ripped it away from her hand. Rei reached for it, but Koan kicked her in the face, smiling as she heard a crack sound throughout the room.

The miko lay silent on the floor.

"To take back the future that's ours."

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*Kino residence*

Makoto examined the long blade, her reflection gleaming back at her. Slowly, she began to chop the carrots, making sure that her fingers were out of harms way. Usually cooking assured her, made her feel happy, but today was different. Something was about to go horribly wrong, and Makoto was sure that she was prepared for it.

Looking out the window in her apartament, she noticed how the clouds now twisted and rumbled, promising that there was definately going to be rain soon.

RING! RING! RING!

Makoto nearly chopped her finger off! Catching her breath, she walked over to the phone.

"Hello, Kino residence."

She didn't hear anything, no answer, no hello, nothing.

"Hello?" she asked again.

Nothing.

Sighing, she put the phone back into the receiver, returning to the kitchen. But she noted how she wasn't alone.

Someone was standing at the counter with their back turned...chopping the carrots for her.

"Um...who are you?"

The stranger turned around, a huge smile on her face. Her green hair was tied back into a bun, not a hair out of place. She wore elbow lengthed black gloves, a dark energy eminating from the tips of her fingers. Her low cut dress was also black, a dark leather belt hanging loosely around her slim waist. With black tights and black boots, Makoto noticed oe much taller this woman was than her. She smiled evilly down at Makoto, a black, upside down crescent moon adorning her pale forehead.

"Who are you?" she repeated.

The woman smiled, setting the knife down (much to Makoto's relief) and clasped her hands together.

"You are Kino Makoto, correct?" she asked in a low, threatening voice.

Makoto nodded her head slowly. "Yeah...why?"

The woman didn't answer, but a ball of black energy suddenly formed in her hands. Makoto's eyes widened, but she immediately raised her fists, ready to fight.

"Now, you can come with me, or I will make you come with me."

Makoto shuddered at the coldness of her voice, but she didn't step down.

"Who are you?"

The woman grinned, and suddenly the ball of energy wasn't in her hand any more; it was hurdling straight at Makoto.

She jumped out of the way quickly, running towards the woman. She threw a fist at her, only to have it caught in one of the woman's hands. Twisting it painfully behind her back, the woman whispered in Makoto's ear.

"Want to rethink that answer?"

Makoto winced in pain before kicking the woman's legs from beneath her, landing a punch in her stomach. Just as she was about to run for help, the woman seized her ankles pulling Makoto to the floor. Grunting from the impact, Makoto kicked the woman in the face, struggling to stand up. But before she could move, the woman grabbed her ankle again, but this time, some sort of electrical energy surged through it, and Makoto's body began to jolt violently.

Falling to the floor, Makoto sputtered for air.

"Are you done yet?" the woman asked.

"Who--are--you?" Makoto wheezed.

"Petz. Eldest Ayakashi sister. Follower of Crimson Rubeus, and your _enemy_."

With one hand, she jolted more energy into Makoto, and the Amazoness lay still on the floor.

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Minako wandered aimlessly down the sidewalk, arms laden with many shopping bags. Ah...allowance day. In her opinion, one of the greatest days of the year, beside her birthday of course.

Walking slowly in her yellow sundress, Minako stopped. She felt...something. It wasn't exactly a good thing either. Shrugging the feeling off, she continued to walk home, the sun slowly setting as she stepped through her front door.

Ignoring her mother and father, Minako hopped quickly up to her room, surprised to not see an angry Artemis laying on her bed. Pulling all the new clothes out of her bag, she stuffed them into her already over flowing closet, satisfied that she was still able to push it shut.

Lying on her bed, Minako stared at the ceiling, trying to count the all the splattered dots that she saw.

Huffing angrily after losing count, she rolled over and turned to the window. Being a Sailor Senshi was tough, and Minako had absolutely no idea how long it would take for them to defeat the Dark Kingdom. Heck, she didn't even know much about who the enemy was.

Absentmindedly, she reached up to touch the necklace she had bought earlier that day. In the corner of the mall, a lone woman stood and sold jewelry, her brown hair pulled back into a bun with a bow at the end, and she wore way too much make up. The woman screamed creepy in all sorts of twisted ways, but Minako was Minako, and she just couldn't resist a good piece of quality jewelry when it cam hurdling her way.

She played with the necklace again. Was it getting tighter? Almost like it was...choking her or something. She reached up to the clasp, trying to pull it off, but it was stuck. The golden necklace tightened and tightened, and Minako didn't have enough breath left in her to even scream. She sank to the floor, tears in her eyes as she knew that she wasn't breathing anymore.

A surge of light entered the room, and standing in the center of the floor was the woman from the mall earlier. Except this time she was in a different outfit. It looked like a...gold plated dress with a tiny red skirt. Her heavy golden boots looked like they weighed more than Minako, and the black crescent moon planted upside down on her forehead slightly reminded her of Luna and Artemis.

Minako felt rope tightening around her as she gasped for air. The woman was smiling evilly at her, her pearly white teeth gleaming. She tried to call for help, but no sound came out of her throat, only more gasping and choking.

"Say goodnight, Venus," the woman said mockingly, sneering as Minako's eyes began to slowly shut.

At the moment, unconciousness seemed welcoming, and Minako was glad to take it.

--(--)--(--)--(--)-- --(--)--(--)--(--)-- --(--)--(--)--(--)-- --(--)--(--)--(--)--

The wine swished back and forth in the glass as he silently toasted the air. A sickening smile was on his face, and the feeling of victory nearly over whelmed him. They had done it. The future that they had strived for was finally within their grasp, and he was going to enjoy every moment of it.

"Prince Demand?"

He turned in his seat to the woman with flowing, green hair.

"Esmeraude, what is it?" he asked, looking boredly at the glass in his hand.

"I was just wondering how far we've gotten," she replied. "Have the Senshi been...disposed of?"

He gave her a toothy smile. "Past and future. The last obstacle in my way of taking the Earth has been destroyed."

Esmeraude raised an eyebrow. "What about Serenity and Endymion? I know that they survived the attack."

The glass in Prince Demand's hand shattered, the jagged edges cutting into his hands. He trembled in fury, and Esmeraude did not move in fear that she would be the next outlet of his rage.

"Why do you think that we're in the past? If we eliminate Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, then Serenity and Endymion are finished!"

Esmeraude raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you didn't want Serenity to be killed."

His shoulders shook once more. "I don't!" he spat. "But the only way to get rid of _him_ is to get rid of _her_!"

Relief spread through Esmeraude. It was something that she had longed for for a very long time. The privilege to watch Serenity be killed. She wouldn't miss it for the world. And then, once the brat was gone, Esmeraude would have Demand all to herself.

"It isn't going to work, brother."

Saphir appeared in the room, sitting across from Demand at the table. He looked past his brother at Esmeraude with piercing blue eyes. Almost as if he had known what she had been thinking.

Demand looked away from his brother calmly.

"I have heard your views and taken them into account, little brother. But believe me when I say that I will take you down the moment you get in my way."

Saphir didn't look the least bit surprised. "As to be expected. But are you really willing to kill the woman you love just so your enemy will fall. The price is heavy, and the consequences are...severe."

Prince Demand raised his glass, a look of pride on his face.

"'Tis the price of power."

Saphir raised his glass gravely.

"'Tis the price of insanity."

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Usagi laid upside down on a park bench, silently giggling over the antics of Sailor V in her manga. Why couldn't being a Senshi actually be like this? The manga seemed much more fun than the real deal...and she briefly wondered how Minako must have felt about this.

Sighing, she packed up her stuff, noticing that the sun was going down and her mother would blow a gasket if she wasn't home in time for dinner. But what was the point? She had already failed her test, so she knew that her mother was going to kick her out anyway as her family sat down and ate a nice meal.

Slowly, she began to walk out of the park, wondering which delightful dish that her mother was going to make her sit out of...again.

"Usa--er...Odango?"

She groaned, turning to face the annoying man.

"How many times have I told you not to call me---"

She stopped when she noticed his profile. It was Mamoru, but he looked different. His black hair was a bit longer, a stuble of five o' clock shadow covering his cheeks. He was more tan, and more muscular, if possible. Before, Mamoru towered over her, but now, her was a skyscraper! Usagi gulped and unconciously took a step back, drawing a baffled expression from him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing! You, erm...just look..._older_."

He smirked. "Maybe you just haven't been looking closely," he purred. Purred? And, he wasn't even in the same outfit he had been in at the Arcade!

"Are you feeling alright, Mamoru-baka?" she asked nervously.

He nodded quickly, looking at the sky. "Come on Odango, let's go."

He grabbed her arm, pulling her with him. She squealed and tried to free herself of the manacle that was his hand.

"Where the heck are you taking me baka!" she cried.

He didn't look back. "Erm...back to the Arcade."

She looked at him incredulously. "Why the heck are we going there! I just want to go home!"

"Motoki needs you," he said.

"What for?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Because you...forgot your milkshake."

"Are you on crack? I don't want the milkshake!"

"It's not safe out here," he muttered.

"Why?"

"Because of me."

They both turned around, Mamoru immediately pushing Usagi behind his back. She gulped as she noted the muscular arm in front of her. Peeking around the stone man in front of her, she saw a man with fiery red hair, a black, upside down crescent moon on his forehead. With the camouflage outfit he was wearing, he looked like an army soldier, except much more intimidating.

"Who are you?" she asked, receiving a warning glare from Mamoru.

"My name is Crimson Rubeus, and I'm here only to kill you."

Usagi gasped in shock, reaching into her pocket for her broach when Mamoru grabbed her arm, pulling it away. She looked up at him curiously, wondering what he was doing.

"Go ahead and do it," he said.

Usagi swatted his arm. "Are you insane, Mamoru-baka?" she cried.

His icy glare silenced her. "Trust me," he muttered.

Rubeus did not look at them, but tiny little spheres of black and pink energy appeared in his hands.

"Ready?" he asked, an evil smirk on his face.

Mamoru didn't answer as the energy was hurled at them. He covered his arms around Usagi who was shrieking, and soon they were covered in blinding pink light. Rubeus laughed at the minor explosion he had caused, people around them screaming and running.

When the power ceded, the only thing left of them was a crater. Inside, a dirty white, masquerade mask gleamed back up at them, showing that the Earth's two heroes were gone.

And at that moment, every child, parent, grandmother, and grandfather found that on every channel, every television, and every radio relayed the same message.

_Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen are dead._

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Let me know what you thought! Poor little Motoki...can't ever keep his counter clean...;)  
Please Review, for I find that it is my obligation to know whether or not that I write crappy  
stories and need to go under major revision procedures on this. And also, I know that every  
thing is probably confusing the heck out of you right now...good, it's supposed to be! Flames  
are excepted, for criticism is constructive and builds strong bones, just like milk. Stay tuned  
for chapter two! Until next time.............


	2. Chapter 2

Well...I know that I'm going to have to apologize for begrudging you this chapter for so long...  
but if it's not satisfactory, there is always the option that you may beat me upside the head  
for it. What's a few brain cells more or less? I never use 'em anyway. Now this is the part  
where I'm supposed to tell you that Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me in any way, shape,  
or form, no matter how many times I try and run through Pluto's time portal and steal  
Naoko's ideas before she gets them. Oh well...maybe I'll try again for it tomorrow. Wish me  
luck! And also that I don't end up falling on Usagi's head like Chibi-usa!

**Eva C, beatifulmoonbunny/anonymous reviewer whose escapes me, PhsycobabbleDream, Eternal Eyes, misako princess, Crystalinchen, and Jessicam242: Thank you so much for the reviews, and here's the second chapter that I've promised...But I'm not signing blood for the next one coming out in a few days, but it will have more explanations in it then this one does. Thanks a ton! ;)**

**SerenityMoonGodness: This takes place in season one, where the Black Moon starts screwing with the time stream even more then they have before. When will they ever learn? Thanks for the review ;)**

**: Well thank you! I tried my best to make it sound realistic...but it was a bit difficult with Mamoru's shady personality. And actually, I took the descriptions of the four Ayakashi sisters straight from the pictures of the materials scanlations...I'm a cheater. But the whole residence thing was for...dramatic effect or something like that, but you're probably right though because my brain works in strange ways. But I'd like to point out that in the Japanese anime, their names were indeed Prince Demand, Saphir, and Esmeraude, and they were changed in the dub. Thanks for the review! ;)**

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Plunging Swords

Chapter 2

By sakanascales876

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Minako awoke groggily on the cold, stone floor. She felt heavy, as though she had been heavily drugged. Her arms and legs were on fire, and she groaned as she tried to lift her arms to ease any sort of pain. Her neck was extremely sore, and she unconsciously rubbed the area where the necklace had choked her. Sitting up, she noticed that both her hands and feet were bound, enabling only limited amounts of movement.

It was dark. Immensely dark. So this is what hell would look like once you put out the massive fires? She lifted her hand in front of her face, not at all too surprised when she couldn't at least see a faint outline of it. But she didn't need any light to tell that she was in a whole lot of trouble.

Raising her finger, she whispered, "Crescent, beam!" The light summoned to her pointer finger, but Minako did not release it. Immediately, the entire area illuminated, but Minako's eyes did not have to adjust to the sudden burst of light. The beam was a part of her and it was...natural.

She realised that she was in some sort of cave, damp water dripping slowly into puddles of darkness. Both of her hands were bound in some sort of glowing rope, and the more she struggled against it, the tighter it became. She felt like an over-grown stress ball, and the person squeezing her was a homicidal, middle aged man with extreme anger management problems to an extent where he would gun down an entire movie theater for not having the movie he wanted to see.

Sighing, Minako looked around, looking for any means of escape, but her eyes trailed to three comatose bodies on the floor, and her eyes widened in realization.

"Minna!" she cried, edging her way over to Ami. She gently shook the girl, but the bluenette didn't stir at all.

"Come on, Ami! Wake up so you can tell me what the heck is going on!" she pleaded.

"We've been captured."

Minako rolled her eyes. "Well gee, I figured...that...much..."

Her eyes widened as she noted that Ami was still unconscious.

"Ami..." she whispered, though it echoed about the cave. "Can you talk with your mind?"

She heard many exasperated sighs throughout the cave. "Minako-chan, the term is _telepathic_, and no, I cannot 'talk with my mind.'"

It was Ami's voice again, but same as before, the girl before her hadn't even moved.

"Over here, nimrod."

That sounded like Rei, and she whipped her head around, trying to find the direction of the voice.

"Rei-chan, is that you?" she called, looking blindly around the dark expanse of cave.

"Nah, it's Toucan Sam here with a bowl of delicious Fruit Loops part of your well-balanced breakfast."

Minako looked to the sleeping form of Rei's body. The martian was slightly drooling, which she would note to use against her later, but she was still fast asleep.

"Where are you guys!" she called exasperatedly as something grasped her chin painfully.

Minako came face to face with a woman who had sandy blond hair and emerald eyes, sparkling with mischief like the evening sun on the water. She was dressed in the ensemble of a Sailor Senshi, though Minako had never seen or heard about her before. Her hands and feet weren't bound, which did not relieved her immensely. This girl could easily crush her!

"We're over here," she spoke mockingly, pointing over to a dark section of the cave. Usually, curiosity would have made Minako look over there immediately, but no such impulse came as she stared dumbly at her possible death bringer.

Minako stared up at her with terrified eyes. "H-hi."

Another 'Senshi' appeared beside her, her sea green eyes and hair shining in the dim light. Though a frown was directed at the woman grasping her chin, she knew that this 'Senshi' would probably slit her throat just if she felt bored. But a calmness swept through her eyes, and Minako felt a bit relieved as the waves of comfort rolled off this new woman.

"Haruka, you're scaring her!" she scolded. The grip on Minako's chin loosened somewhat, but the blonde Senshi would not let go.

"Yeah Haruka, you're scaring me!" a familiar voice cried from deep within the cave.

"My Lord, how is it my fault that this blonde haired bimbo was even dumber in the past?" Haruka cried.

"Hey!" Minako yelled. "You have no right to insult me! I don't even know you. What the heck is going on?"

Suddenly, Minako was nearly lifted off the ground as Haruka dragged her over to another end of the cave. Minako flailed her arms and legs, praying that the girl would set her down gently instead of dropping her. Despite her many struggles and curses, the grip on her would not relent. When they both stopped moving as they reached the other side of the cave, she saw eight faces staring straight at her.

"H-hello, there," she breathed, giggling nervously. The eight beings were looming in the shadows, shrouded with an aura of mystery. Although she could barely make out that they were even there, she could practically feel their eyes boring into her. Raising her finger, she whispered the incantation again, and they were immediately surrounded by a bit of dim light once more.

She was face to face with eight Senshi, four of them familiar, four of them not. They stared down at her, analyzing her like a bubbling test tube.

"Who are you?" Minako asked.

Four of the Senshi stepped out of the shadows, and Minako gasped.

Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, and...Sailor Venus...stood before her, except they looked much older than her. Sad and tired expressions were slapped onto their faces, and Minako inwardly grimaced at the thought that her friends could even look like that. Their hands and feet weren't bound either, and they stood silently.

Sailor Mercury stepped forward. "Now Minako-chan, this is going to be a huge shock to you...but you need to just be quiet and listen."

Minako nodded dumbly as Sailor Jupiter cut her bindings.

Sailor Mercury kneeled before her, and the other four figures stepped out of the shadows.

"Before I start," Mercury began. "I need to introduce you to the Outer Senshi. They guard the outer rim of the solar system and protect our galaxy from unknown threats before they even arrive. Sailor Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto. But you may call them Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna. Do you understand so far?"

Minako looked at the unfamiliar Senshi, taking in their striking appearances and intimidating forms. Heck, even the little black haired girl freaked her out.

"So there are more of us?" she asked.

Mars snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Have you ever stopped to count how many planets there are, Minako-chan?"

Jupiter rolled her eyes. "Well, we didn't know about them either, Mars, so cut her some slack."

Mars glared at her. "We don't have time to cut people slack! Our empire has been overthrown and we're the only ones that can stop them!"

"That isn't true," a mysterious voice stated as Sailor Pluto stepped forward. "We can only hope that Serenity and Endymion-sama are fighting."

All of them looked down. "Setsuna-chan," an older Venus whispered. "Forget it; they're dead. We'd be out of here by now if they were still alive."

Setsuna shook her head. "I won't believe it. They're out there, and we need to have faith in them."

"But Demand even went back in time and killed Usagi and Mamoru! They don't even exist anymore!"

Minako looked up. "What?" she whispered brokenly, tears forming in her eyes.

Mercury looked at her with sympathy. "Minako..."

"What. Is going. On?" she ground out, looking away as tears cascaded down her porcelain cheeks. "Why would they kill Usagi-chan? I don't even know any of you! And how the hell does any of this have to do with Chiba Mamoru?" she cried, tears streaking down her cheeks.

Everyone turned away from her, a few clearing their throats, some dabbing their eyes, the rest shedding their tears.

After a long moment, Mercury finally cleared her throat. "We're you...from the future..." she said quietly.

"I figured that much." The voice sounded alien even to her. Minako clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. "Why was I taken? Why was Usagi-chan killed?"

"The people who kidnapped you are the enemy." Mercury pulled out her computer.

"Beryl kidnapped us?" Minako tilted her head in confusion, though tears were still sliding down her cheeks.

Mercury shook her head. "No. This has absolutely nothing to do with Queen Beryl. This is an entirely different enemy...a more powerful enemy. They are the ones that kidnapped you, and killed Serenity and Endymion."

"What do they want from us?" Minako asked.

Uranus scoffed. "They're cowards! They saw us as a threat, so they rounded us up like cattle and imprisoned us here!"

Minako looked around. "Where exactly is...here?"

"We're on Nemesis," Ami supplied. "This is where the enemy base resides."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Minako shook her hands frantically in front of her face. "Can you please just start this from the beginning? All these bits and pieces aren't making any sense to me."

She heard Mars mutter something along the lines of, "Dumb blond," but she chose to ignore it.

Mercury took a deep breath, and all the other Senshi sat on the damp cave floor, surrounding their attention to the blue haired soldier.

"The future..." she began, "Is a very peaceful place. There are rarely any threats, and we are ruled under Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion."

At Minako's questioning glance, Mercury sighed. "Usagi and Mamoru."

She looked disbelieving. "How much did you have to pay those guys? I mean, the way that their always at each other's throats, I'm a bit surprised that they haven't killed each other yet." She tilted her head to the side. "Just how many years into the future are you guys?"

Mercury typed a few keys into her computer. "About...fourteen-hundred years ahead from the present time we are in now."

Minako shrugged. "Figures it would take them over a millenia to realize that they could be doing something more important than fighting all the time."

All of them giggled, even Mars. "Very true," Mercury said, and all the laughter died a silent death. "But Usagi-chan and Mamoru-kun are King and Queen of the Earth."

Minako's eyes bugged out. "Queen and King? How is that even possible? Usagi gets worse grades than _I do!_ Do you have any idea how terrible that is?"

"Believe us; we do," Uranus joked.

Minako glared at her.

"Anyways---" Mercury attempted.

"But wait!" Minako cried. "How are they the King and Queen? Usagi's just Sailor Moon, and Mamoru's just, well...Mamoru."

Pluto looked at her with a blank expression. "Usagi and Mamoru are the missing princess and prince that you have been looking for. Also, Tuxedo Kamen is Mamoru. I'm sorry to inform you of that...but your search is going to have to end."

Minako clutched a hand to her head, eyes widening in shock. "I can't believe it..." she whispered.

"Neither can I." Mars earned an elbow in the ribs from Neptune for that comment.

"I mean..." she started. "It all makes sense though...Usagi is Sailor _Moon_, and we are looking for the _Moon_Princess...but I never though...and Mamoru..."

Mars turned to Sailor Venus. "That has got to be the smartest thing that you have_ ever _said."

Venus pulled out her sword. "Watch it pyro! I'll---"

"Stop it! We don't have time for this, you two!" Mercury cried. Their bickering ceased, and all attention was turned to Mercury once more.

"As I was saying, under the rule of Serenity and Endymion, we run Crystal Tokyo, a place of is barely any crime, and Japan is a utopia in comparison to the rest of the world. One day, during a meeting, this enemy, the Black Moon, showed up and---"

"Who's the 'Black Moon'?" Minako interrupted.

"They're the enemy I was talking about earlier. They've been after us forever, trying to get revenge for banishing them to Nemesis."

"Why'd you banish them? And what's a Nemesis?"

"They are evil beings who refused to be cleansed with the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, so they were exiled from the Earth to the planet of Nemesis. To this day it has always been their goal to go back in history and change time so that they are under control of our future, and I have a feeling that they are attempting it right now."

"Not to mention that their Prince is a little too...friendly with our princess..." Uranus growled.

"Anyway," Mercury cut in. "The Black Moon attacked, nearly destroying our Crystal Palace. Many were killed, and they captured us. We don't know what happened to Serenity and Endymion, but since they aren't fighting now...we have assumed the worst."

"Don't say that, Ami-chan," Pluto said. "They are alive and they are fighting."

"How do you know that Setsuna?" Venus asked.

Pluto's eyes narrowed. "What do you think, Venus? It's not like I know every event that is to occur in the time space continuum or anything."

Jupiter looked impressed. "Wow, Setsuna-chan. Didn't know you had a little bit of sarcasm in you."

Pluto pinched the bridge of her nose, looking down and shaking her head. "Listen...they're alive; I know it. We have got to trust them!"

Little Saturn beside her nodded in agreement. "She speaks the truth...the princess and prince are still alive, and they will fight."

Minako smiled at them all. "Yeah...and Usagi-chan and Mamoru-kun will do something!"

None of the others would look at them, their skepticism evident on their faces. A silence sounded throughout the cave, the only sound being the dripping water behind them.

"Minako-chan," Mercury whispered. "That's why we think that Serenity and Endymion are dead. Prince Demand went back in time to kill their past selves so that they would not exist in the future."

Minako clenched her fists. Silent tears trailed down her face, splashing on the ground as her shoulders shook. She attempted to speak many times, but when she tried, she recieved no cooperation and the words died a silent death on her tongue. It took minutes for the blonde haired goddess to find her voice again.

"Then how are you all still here?" she whispered, staring hardly at Mercury.

Mercury shook her head. "That's the thing...I just don't know."

A silence wafted throughout the cave again, and Minako shuddered at the chill she felt down her spine.

"They're alive...trust me," Pluto said, suddenly finding a crack in the stone walls interesting.

Uranus rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Setsuna. As you hold on to that little false bit of information you've got there, the Earth of the future and soon the past are being enslaved while we sit here doing absolutely nothing about it."

"This is something that's supposed to happen." Pluto stared across the room towards the unconscious Senshi.

Jupiter raised an eyebrow. "This never happened in _our_past, though, Setsuna-chan."

She didn't respond, but Minako recognized the look of loyalty in her eye. It was the same look that she gave Usagi each battle, showing her that she would follow the girl even if she decided to walk into death.

"Believe in Serenity and Endymion," Pluto whispered. "They're alive, well, and fighting." She gave a tiny smile to the others before adding,

"And you know that whenever they fight...they never lose."

Mars scoffed. "Except when Serenity fights _with_ Endymion. He _always_ loses."

The all looked at one another. "True enough."

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"Esmeraude, report."

The emerald haired woman stepped forward, nervously brushing a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. Stumbling for words, she looked anxiously up at her prince.

"It was a success. Serenity and Endymion are now dead...past, present, and future." She glanced into his eyes, searching for any kind of praise, but nothing but a bored stare resided on his face.

"Very good. We shall take the past tomorrow." He took a long sip of his wine, crossing one leg over the other. "Give Rubeus my regards...and make sure that you congratulate him on a _job well done_."

"You are a fool, brother."

Prince Demand swiveled angrily in his chair towards his younger brother, glaring down at the man.

"Are you questioning my authority again?"

He glared up at Prince Demand defiantly. "In the interest of the people of Nemesis, yes I am."

"I am doing what is best for my people!"

"No," Saphir yelled. "You are doing what _Wiseman_ thinks is best for your people! Can't you see that he's just using you?"

"I've heard your opinions, Saphir, but I am sticking with my plan---"

"You mean _Wiseman's _plan! You're supposed to be the King! Make your own damn decisions for once!"

Demand raised one hand in the air. "Enough."

Saphir wasn't finished though. "You still listen to his advice, even though he told you to kill the woman you love!"

Prince Demand shrugged. "I just wanted to get rid of Endymion."

"There could have been other methods of doing it then, brother! You could have gotten everything you wanted had you stopped long enough to think about it"

"Do not question my plans. The future is ours to take now---"

"No it isn't! We can't do a damn thing about the future unless we have the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou! Who told you that everything---"

Demand raised an eyebrow. "Wiseman."

Saphir pinched his nose. "I don't like him, brother, he's up to something. Surely you could have thought of another way to destroy Endymion without killing them both!"

Saphir saw that his eyes clenched shut, a pained expression on his face.

"You regret it, don't you?" he whispered.

Demand said nothing, but a lone tear travelled down his cheek. "Enough, Saphir. I'm doing what is best for all of us."

"And in the process you've lost your sanity and someone you held dear. Has any of it been worth while yet?"

Prince Demand clenched his fist. "We've already taken the future---"

"Which means absolutely nothing without the Ginzushou. Crystal Tokyo revolves around that tiny crystal, but with no Serenity, there's no power to wield it. And we don't even know where it is now."

"Do not question me, and do not question Wiseman. We know what we're doing..."

"Believe what you will, brother. You do as you see fit and I will do as I see fit."

Demand took another sip of his wine. "Interfere, Saphir, and I will not hesitate to kill you."

Saphir bowed mockingly. "As you wish..."

Saphir walked away, down the many halls of the palace. He knew he had to step up and do something before it was too late. Demand was going to destroy them all under the control of Wiseman, and he wouldn't allow all the innocent people of Nemesis to fall. Frustrated, he pushed open a door, revealing Esmeraude staring at the Black Crystal.

"Esmeraude, I need to talk to you."

She gave out one of her sickening laughs. "I'm listening."

Saphir didn't know where to start. "Surely you've noticed some...flaws in this plan of my brother's and Wiseman's?"

"No, I haven't," she said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Esmeraude," he said. "If this continues, all of Nemesis will fall...my brother's stupidity doesn't allow him to see all of the possible precautions needed to be taken for his acts. He was a fool to kill Serenity, for without her, there is no Ginzushou."

Esmeraude's grip tightened around the feathery fan in her grasp. "Is that so? I thought that killing Serenity would be a good thing..."

Saphir shook his head. "My brother didn't get his facts straight, for destroying Serenity could have been the most stupid thing he has ever done. The Ginzushou controls _everything_in the future, and Serenity controlled the Ginzushou. Now that she and Endymion are gone, time is going to start falling apart, and since we captured Pluto, not even she will be able to fix it."

"Serenity being gone is a good thing. We don't need our worlds to revolve around her."

"You're jealousy blinds you. Without her, time is falling apart. We can only pray that there may be some sort of solution to this mess."

"When will time collapse?"

"I don't know. It should have started to rip apart by now...but I don't know why the time stream seems unaffected."

"So what did you want me to do about it?"

Saphir didn't speak. He walked forward, stepping beside her and glaring at the Black Crystal. It was so large...yet so weak. The Ginzushou was so small...and so powerful. If only he could obtain it...if only her could somehow use it to save Nemesis from destruction.

"We need to overthrow my brother," Saphir whispered.

Esmeraude gasped. "I will do no such thing, Saphir! We would be betraying---"

"Believe me when I say that my loyalties are to Nemesis, not him. I will do what is best for our planet...even if I have to kill my own brother. Esmeraude...I need your help with this."

She bit her lip, looking nervously about the room for any signs of their prince. "Saphir...I won't do it! I can't!" she cried.

"Think about it," was all he said before he walked away.

Neither of them noticed the floating, cloaked figure hover out of the room.

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Usagi clutched her head painfully as she awoke, her entire body feeling heavy and disoriented. She opened her eyes, only to tightly shut them again at the bright light surrounding her. Slowly, they began to adjust, and Usagi found herself in an all too familiar room.

"Usagi-chan, are you alright?"

She had no idea whose voice that was, but a sudden pull of nausea overwhelmed her. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach, wincing every time that it decided to do a summer-sault.

"You really shouldn't have done that so quickly."

It was the same voice as before, but Usagi couldn't seem decipher where she had heard it before.

Another person heaved a frustrated sigh. "What was I supposed to do? Throw her over my shoulder and run away? I bet Rubeus would have _loved _that."

"What is with you and your constant need for heroics? Because of that little stunt you pulled, now she's going to be dizzy for a few hours and we'll get nothing accomplished."

Usagi almost giggled. They sounded like an old, married couple. She immediately covered her hand over her mouth when someone began to shake her.

"Odango? Odango Atama? Can you hear me?" That was definitely Mamoru, she would recognize him anywhere, even in a street convention of men wearing green jackets. Hideous green jackets.

"Please stop shaking me!" Usagi moaned. "I'm gonna puke!"

She could hear him shuffle away from her quickly. "Coward," she mumbled.

"Hey!" she heard two indignant voices cry. "I am not a coward!"

She sat up, rubbing her aching head. "Would you two shut up? I've got a serious headache here!"

Looking around the room, she noted that they were in the Control Center.

"Mamoru-baka!" she cried, grabbing the lapels of his hideous, purple shirt. "How the hell did you get into our Control Center?"

He smiled sheepishly, running a hand through his hair and calmly unclenching her hands from his shirt.

"Usagi-chan, your Mamoru-baka's over there," he said, pointing across the room. Sure enough, Mamoru sat there, green jacket and all. But she turned back to face the other man. Suddenly, she remembered his face...he was the nut job that had nearly gotten them killed!

She shimmied away from him, nearly kicking him in the face in the process. "Get away from you psycho!"

The woman behind him shook her head. "The price of your damn heroics...when will you ever learn?"

Usagi ignored her glancing over to Mamoru. "Aren't you even the least freaked out over this?"

He shrugged. "I've already had everything explained to me. It would help if you stopped trying to kill them long enough for them to answer your questions, though, Odango."

She felt the woman place a warm hand on her shoulder. Usagi really looked at her for the first time, noticing silver-blue eyes, shimmering with mischief. A golden, crescent moon adorned her forehead, shining brightly in comparison to her silver hair. A warm smile upon her lips embraced Usagi with welcoming arms, and although she was terrified, she felt that everything was going to be alright as long as this woman was with her. She looked familiar in a way, and Usagi couldn't help but feel at ease, as thought she were in her mother's presence.

She brushed stray bangs away from Usagi's face, her silvery eyes staring into her own. "Usagi-chan...we need your help."

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Not a cliff hanger...but eh? Let me know what you thought! I really like reviews...their like fuel  
for my soul (a tad too deep, huh?). Flames are acceptable also, because criticism is constructive,  
and builds strong bones, just like milk. I'm just going to tell you thought that the next chapter is  
full of explanations...from a different perspective then the Senshi's. But until then............. I'm off to  
go wreak havok in the time stream and get wacked on the head by Pluto's time staff. Who knows?  
Maybe next time I might just come back and you'll all worship me as the owner of Sailor Moon!  
Don't count on it...although I desperately wish that it were true..........


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